Manville woman killed by tree limb

LINCOLN — A Manville woman died tragically Friday evening when a tree limb being cut by her husband struck her in the head, apparently killing her instantly.
Police responded to a home on Elm Street at 8:06 p.m. after receiving a report of a domestic accident. Lt. Joseph Conti and Patrolman Walter Ptaszek stated the man had asked his wife to hold a rope attached to a limb so that, once it was cut, she could lower it to the ground gently.
“They were trimming a tree branch, and it appears that the weight of the branch pulled her forward and into it,” stated Police Chief Brian Sullivan. “It certainly is a tragedy.”
Manville firefighters and Lincoln Rescue 4 personnel raced to the scene, though Conti and Ptaszek had arrived first and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the victim, who was in her mid-40s. Rescue workers took her to Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, where she was pronounced dead.
“It's a terrible tragedy,” indicated a member of the Lincoln Rescue personnel, who stated the death may have been caused by a broken neck. “It's not that simple (as someone just cutting a branch). We get calls for a lot of injuries from trees or limbs striking people — those working with chainsaws, falling off a ladder after cutting one down or being hit by a tree or branch just falling on top of them.
“We've responded to those who have suffered both minor or severe injuries, and most are caused by people untrained at cutting them down,” he added.
“Those are the ones who sustain most of the injuries. It's rather common; I've lost count as to how many people are injured cutting down their own trees, or those belonging to friends.”
Police did not reveal the victim's name as all family members had yet to be contacted.